User Reviews

- The stem failures noted are installation error - this tube is thin, so you have to fill them up with out the presta nut on, let hte tube fill and the presta valve seat, once filled, then lightly turn the presta nut back down to the base of the rim, dont tighten, move to the bottom - to touch rim...there has to be room for movement.

the catastrophic failure of valve tearing from tube is due to that presta to rim nut tightened down and the tube is stretching internally.....think whats going on inside the tire....

Weaknesses: None-- initially , I had one leak air (on a newly installed tube)near where the stem
meets the tube-- found out it was due to the presta valve hole on the aluminum rim that needed to be filed a bit

Bottom Line:

Yes they are thin tubes but they have been fine for me.
Keep giving them bad reviews and maybe they'll lower the retail cost on these babies so i can buy them up!

When they are working they are as good as anything I have used, but....

When these first came out many years ago they had a problem with persistent spontaneous pinhole defects. That usually resulted in an annoying but ridable slow leak which was also patchable. They were not otherwise any more prone to flats than any other tube I have used. And that early pinhole problem seems to have been solved.

But more recently, I have found that they fail spontaneously and without warning by tearing at the valve stem interface. Of the last 9 I have used (and I still have several awaiting use), 100% suffered this failure. Sometimes it is shortly after the first installation, at other times after extended use. But it is still a consistent and unforgivable defect, especially since it is non-repairable and usually means nearly instant full deflation and a non-ridable tire. Performance will replace them, but that does not detract from the inconvenience of an "unearned" flat on the trail.
So if you use these be sure to carry several spares to insure that you can get home. At least they pack compactly.

Strengths: this was the lightest tube I could find. Lunar light.
95 grams it said on the box 0.4 mm thickness

Weaknesses: very thin rubber. I had two forte tubes rip at the valve stem.(it wasn't my fault) these are cheap cheap cheap no matter what the price paid.

Bottom Line:

I bought this tube to carry as a back up in my bag. I figure its light weight so it will be easier to haul around. I got a pinch flat and had two forte back ups. regular and lunar. Both of these tubes ripped at the valve stem while inflating them with a mini pump trail side. I have learned not to waste my money on this brand. It is probley ok for commuting.

Less Weight Means More Performance (No Pun Intended). The Best Place To Cut Weight Is Toward The Outside Of Your Wheels, Since There Rotating Any Ounces Cut There Multiply To Several Ounces Cut Else Where. These Tubes Easily Cut 20-30 Grams, Try Doing That With A Rim For Just Twenty Bucks. Also The Quality Is Fantastic, Being That These Are Made of Real Butyl Rubber, Which Hold Air Better Than A Latex Tube Of Twice The Thickness. Yeah You're Gonna Get Flats, But That's True of ANY Tube, Also If You're Runnin' Around With 25psi What Do You Think Is Gonna Happen. Fill 'em To 50 and Run With The Big Boys. This Tube Is Not Just For Lycra Racer Types, I'm A Fat Grizzly Adams Type Guy Who Flies Through The Back Hills With Nary A Problem. In Short The Best $20 You Can Spend On Your Bike.

These tubes are hit or miss. I had two flat almost immediately. I have had one on my front wheel for the past year and it has outlasted the Continental Explorer tire it was mated to. If the quality control was better, it would be a fantastic product.

Keith Bontrager has a quote about component tradeoffs: "you can have light, strong, or cheap- pick two"So these are reasonably cheap and extremely light- guess what got left out? I bought three of these as spares for rides. If you pump your tires waaay up to 50 psi, and use lotsa talc, you may not pinch flat these immediately, but what's the point if you have to run your tires so hard you have less traction? On a full-susp. bike you can go fast enough on rough lines that you will flat these- usually in a race, right when you feel pretty good.

These tubes offer such a weight reduction off any regular tubes. I haven't had any any flats, but I ride fairly hard on the downhills. I used to pinch flat a lot (bad technique and not enough pressure), but as long you ride with some finesse, and fill your tires with 40-45 psi you shouldn't pinch flat on anything but the fastest of technical downhills.

Please don't even think about it if you're racing. What's the point of training hard and driving to the race and paying a fee only to stop and fix a flat while the folks you passed go riding by. I tried these once last year with the same result on a full-susp. Please accept an additional 25 grams and get something else.

Weaknesses: More prone to pinch flat? But if you are running light tubes, what do you expect?

Bottom Line:

I've raced and trained, when using my race bike, on these tubes for three years now. Never have I noticed an increased tendency to pinch flat, or flat in general. A thorn in the tube will flat the tire no-matter-what (ok, unless you've got slime or liners). I run unusually high pressures (50-60 psi) mainly due to the small tire choice, not the light weight tube. My racing rig sits idle for the entire winter, and yes there is still air in the tires after several months of inactivity! If your tires go flat or explode after mounting, then you've obviously damaged the tube. There is a saying that probably applies here: "If you don't know what those two little screws on a derailleur do, then don't mess with them!" Bottom line: Light weight is for racing ONLY! Not for "dink'n" around the neighborhood.

Weaknesses: Expensive unless purchased when on sale. Pinch flat easily; especially when used with narrow tires.

Bottom Line:

Worked great for months with 2.1 Mythos XC. Went to 1.95 Mythos XC in the rear and pinch flatted alot. Seemed to hold up to thorns as well as any other tube I've tried (even tubes that were twice the weight). I'd still be using these if I hadn't discovered Stan's tubeless system.

I've been forunate, have run the tubes for two months and the stem has only busted on one while removing the trail pump. Performance said that it was a defect and replaced it for free. I'm 195lbs and run them at a very high PSI. I do deflate them a little after each ride. Great way to drop weight in a noticable area.